Fly high at Bromley Sun Mountain Adventure Park

By BARBARA LEECHSpecial to the Sunday News

A newly opened $500,000, five-acre, 60-element Aerial Adventure Park at Bromley's Sun Mountain Park challenges the whole family to work their way through the platforms to trees, over bridges of rope, wood steps and wire.

Located six miles east of Manchester, Vt., Bromley Mountain is known for its skiing, but in the off season months, the mountain draws big crowds with "Vermont's Summer Adventure Park" boasting 23 rides and attractions including America's most famous triple-track Alpine Slide, the longest four-line ZipRider in the east, southern Vermont's longest water-slide ride and Vermont's first aerial adventure park, featuring 63 tree-borne elements across five wooded acres.

"We have about 100,000 people visit us each summer season, but only about 70,000 are paid admissions. One of the nice things about Bromley is that entry into the park is free so a parent or guardian can bring their family and supervise from a picnic table or Adirondack chair," Janessa Purney, marketing manager at the park, said. "You only have to purchase a ticket if you'll actually be riding the rides."

Visitors may start with North America's first triple-tracked Alpine Slide and still one of the longest slides in the world offering a full two-thirds of a mile ride. Enjoy the scenic chairlift ride up the mountain, and then the thrill is in your hands by picking your track and controlling your own speed as you ride down through the banked turns and straightaways, rolls and drops. Children less than 48 inches in height ride free but must be with an adult, and those over 48 inches tall must ride solo.

For water fun, try the Big Splash. At 456 feet, it is Vermont's longest and coolest water slide ride. Maximum weight is 375 pounds for either one or two riders, and those under 42 inches tall must ride with an adult.

Or go swinging on the park's "Giant Swing," which looms as tall as a four-story building and swings riders at speeds approaching 40 mph, producing 3g's of gravitational force. Move on to the climbing wall: a challenging 24-foot multi-faced "real-rock" wall with different faces for different challenges. Round out the thrills on one of four "Trampoline Things" that allows guests to slip into a bungee harness and take bouncing to new heights. Guests must weigh between 30 to 200 pounds to ride.

There is also an adrenaline zip line called "Little Zippy," which is basically 100 feet of fun on a super-strong steel cable. Guests must weigh less than 150 pounds and be at least 48 inches tall to ride.

For the older adventurer, combining elements of a zip line, canopy tour, and challenge course, the new $500,000, five-acre, 60-element aerial adventure park has challenges the whole family ages 7 to adult can enjoy. Opened in 2012, guests work their way through the canopy, from platform to platform and tree to tree, over bridges of rope, wood and wire. Adventurers are safe in a harness, exploring a whole new side of Bromley with a squirrel's-eye view.

The park is open daily through Sept. 2 and weekends and holidays through Oct. 14. For more information on tickets and schedules, please visit online at www.bromley.com.